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Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (b. January 16, 1979 - d. August 25, 2001) was an American singer, dancer, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records. Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records. Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One In A Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single Try Again. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this goal. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her role in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for the single, Rock the Boat. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Aaliyah's music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah sold 52 million records worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years and 27th most successful R&B artist in history. Early Life (1979 - 1990: Childhood) Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the 2nd and last younger child of Diane and Michael Haughton. She have a older brother named Rashad. She was African American, and was said to have Oneida heritage from a grandmother. Her name has been described as a female version of the Arabic "Ali"; however, the original Arabic and Jewish name "Aliya (Hebrew: אליה)" derived from the Hebrew word "aliyah (Hebrew: עלייה)", and meant "highest, most exalted one, the best". At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother. She started performing at weddings, church choir and charity events. When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan. She attended a catholic school where she received a part in the stage play called Annie. From then on, she was determined to become an entertainer. In Detroit, her father began working in the warehouse business, one of his brother-in-law (who is Aaliyah's uncle) Barry Hankerson. Her mother stayed home and raised Aaliyah and Rashad. Aaliyah's mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight. As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Gladys and worked with an agent in New York to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters. In 1989, at the age ten; she went on to appear on Star Search where she sang My Funny Valentine. In 1991, Aaliyah's grandmother died. Years after her death, Aaliyah said her grandmother supported everyone in the family and always wanted to hear her sing, as well as admitting that she "spoiled" her and her brother Rashad "to death." She also enjoyed Aaliyah's singing and would have Aaliyah to sing for her. Aaliyah stated that she thought of her grandmother whenever she fell into depression. Aaliyah's hands reminded her of her aunt, who died when she was "very young" and Aaliyah referred to her as an "amazingly beautiful woman". Career (1991 - 1995: Age Ain't Nothing But A Number) After Barry signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Barry later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly, who became Aaliyah's mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of the album, which was recorded when she was 14. Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was released under Jive and Blackground Records; the album debut at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 74,000 copies in its first week. It ultimately peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and sold over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified two times Platinum by the RIAA. The second single, a cover of The Isley Brothers' "At Your Best (You Are Love)", peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold by the RIAA. The title track, " Age Ain't Nothing But A Number", peaked at number 75 on the Hot 100. Additionally, she released The Thing I Like as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film, A Low Down Dirty Shame.